Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced to the families of hostages held in Gaza that a deal for their release might be close, his office said on Tuesday.
As per Reuters, this update came amid ongoing intense fighting in the Palestinian region.
Israeli forces continued their operations in the southern Gaza area of Khan Younis, urging civilians to evacuate areas identified as militant strongholds.
Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) reported massive civilian displacement as Israeli airstrikes persisted.
Netanyahu, currently in Washington, is set to meet with US President Joe Biden later this week following his Congressional address.
He reassured the families of the hostages, saying, The conditions (for a deal) are undoubtedly ripening. This is a good sign."
Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, proposed by President Biden and mediated by Egypt and Qatar, have gained momentum recently.
Netanyahu mentioned that the process would happen in stages, with initial agreements leading to further negotiations for additional hostage releases.
An Israeli negotiation team is scheduled to continue talks on Thursday, focusing on a potential exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
In November, a truce led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
As per the outlet, the hostages were captured during a Hamas raid on October 7, which resulted in about 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 people being taken hostage.
Currently, 120 hostages remain in captivity, with some declared dead by Israeli authorities.
